Ezekiel
Disclaimer: Do not own Buffy.
Sunnydale High School; Sunnydale, California:
Ezekiel watched the area carefully. He could feel the Hellmouth in the area, it was an overwhelming sensation. He was almost blinded by its presence. He looked back at Angel as he drove to the high school's parking lot. The vampire stayed in the shadows for the most part, not wanting to get vaporized the second the sunlight hit him.
"Park around back," the vampire called out, "It's closer to the library."
Ezekiel nodded and drove around the lot until he found the path to the back of the high school. As he drove, he started to smell something…odd.
"Angel," the Warrior asked, "Do you smell that?"
He could all but see in his rear view mirror the vampire nod.
"Gas," muttered the former Scourge of Europe.
"I'll let you out here," he said as he parked, "You go check it out and I'll meet you…where will I meet you?"
"That depends," said Angel as he prepared to get out, "Do you want them to know you're here?"
Ezekiel had been pondering that little question on the way down. Whatever the Powers That Be, or the Divine, had told Bob, it wasn't pretty. If they didn't want him here, and he was here, then what would happen if he kept his presence unknown to the defenders of the Hellmouth?
He had thought about it. He had made his choice.
"No," he answered, "I don't. Things might turn out better that way."
"…Alright," said Angel, "I have an apartment near a club called The Bronze. Meet me at the club at nightfall."
"Right," the Warrior said as he tossed Angel a thick blanket and unlocked the door. The soulful vampire opened the door and sprinted to the shadows of the building, steam and sizzle following him as he went. Ezekiel got out and closed the side doors, then climbed back inside. He drove away and wondered what would happen next.
Rupert Giles coughed as the gas that Marcie Ross had set loose upon them began to choke the life out of him. He spotted a crowbar leaning against the wall and quickly formed a plan. He took off his tweed jacket, picked the crowbar up, and wrapped it up within the tweed.
"Girls," he said to his two companions, Willow Rosenberg and Amy Madison, "Give me a hand."
The two nodded at him, barely awake from the fumes. They each got on either side of the bar and grasped the jacket with which it was wrapped in.
"On three," he said, "One, two, three!"
The three charged at the door, only for it to open just as they were about to hit it. They fell through the open doorway and onto the hard concrete. Giles coughed as clean, pure air invaded his lungs, overpowering the nauseous fumes that had threatened to end his days as a Watcher. He felt a strong pair of arms lift him up and looked up into the face of his rescuer.
"Angel," he said in relief, "Thank God."
"I'm awake, Mom," Ms. Rosenberg said in her daze.
"I brought you the Codex," said the vampire with a soul, "I was coming in through the basement when I smelt the gas."
"We need to shut the valve of," Giles said as he coughed the bad air out of his lungs.
"I'll do it," Angel volunteered, "It's not like I need the oxygen."
Giles nodded and guided the two girls away from the basement. Angel stared after them, wondering how they had made it work this long. He sighed and entered the basement, closing the door behind him.
Ezekiel parked his van outside the club known as The Bronze. It looked as though it was being prepared for some sort of ball. He sighed and got out of his vehicle and locked the door. He wasn't going to just sit inside his van and wait for night to fall.
He looked around in the bright sunshine. This whole area felt…dirty. As though it had been plagued by more nightmares than it deserved. Considering the fact that this was the Hellmouth, that made sense. He sighed once more and looked behind him. He noticed that, on the other side of the street, there was an unmarked black car.
"What the Hell," he muttered to himself.
It was either Feds or criminals, that much he was sure of. He sighed for the third time in a row. Not even a full hour in the town and he was already knee-deep in shit. He looked sharply to the left as he heard a door open. He watched carefully as three people came from around the building, heading for the car. Two suits were flanking someone with a large, red piece of fabric over their head. That clinched it.
Ezekiel reached into his jacket and withdrew a dagger. He lifted it up, took careful aim, and let it fly. His aim proved true as it embedded itself in the nearest suit's arm, forcing him to the ground. The other one reached into his jacket and pulled out a service pistol, but dropped it as another of Ezekiel's daggers hit the veins within his arm. He didn't know what they were after, but the situation was suspicious enough.
The Warrior of God charged forward and drove a heel into the first suit's neck. His blow easily knocked the suit out. He turned his attention to the other one, who was leveling his pistol at Ezekiel's head. The hunter lashed out with a bladed hand and knocked the pistol away from the suit's hands. He threw his fist into the poor bastard's forehead, knocking him out cold.
He reached down and examined the bundle that they had been carrying. It was breathing, and from the moans, it sounded as though it were a girl. He gently picked her up and carried her over to his van. He opened the side door up and placed her inside, then closed the door. He climbed back inside and started the ignition. He was driving down the road at eighty miles an hour when the suits came to. Once he found a suitable hiding spot, he stopped the vehicle and climbed into the back. The woman was coming out of her slumber, groaning and pressing her hands up against the cloth.
"It's all right, now," he said soothingly, "Everything's alright."
He gently pulled the fabric away from her face and examined her. She was, for the most part, invisible, though he could barely see her outline against the dark van interior.
"Now, isn't that interesting," he said to her, "How did you become invisible?"
The girl sobbed, he could hear her, and then just broke down. Ezekiel looked at the space she occupied in wonder as he wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed into his shoulder, letting the tears drench his jacket.
The Warrior of God sighed. It was obvious that something had happened to this girl. She either had no idea how she got this way, or she didn't know how to turn it off. Or, possibly both. He did not know what he would do if he were in that situation, and he had absolutely no idea what she had done. Sighing, he gently allowed her to cry her heart out.
Angel was worried. He had told Ezekiel to meet him at the Bronze tonight, but he was nowhere nearby. He walked around the club for the third time and stopped suddenly. He could smell a familiar scent. He crouched down and smelled the pavement. It held the stench of Paradise, Oregon. He stood up and began to follow it.
"…Wow."
The girl, Marcie Ross, had just finished telling him her story. How she had been unnoticed by the primary population, which included her parents, and then she had become invisible. She remembered how alone she had felt, and how much she had wanted vengeance.
To Ezekiel, it was insanity. She had lost her mind due to the loneliness and exile. He could relate. He sighed to himself and took his jacket off. He wrapped the distraught teenager up inside of it and then took his black shirt off.
"W-what are you doing," Marcie asked.
He didn't answer her. He reached out, his palm open and facing upward.
"Give me your hand," he beseeched her.
He heard her, and saw the jacket, move forward, but then she hesitated.
"I'm going to try and help you. It's alright, Marcie. You can trust me."
For a moment, she did nothing, but she came around. She reached out and placed her left hand in his palm. He gripped her arm inside of his and gently pulled it up to his shoulder. When he felt her touch his branding, he felt a short spark, like when you touch an outlet. He also felt her gasp and recoil, but the effect was instantaneous and obvious.
She became visible. Her head was turned down, looking at her hand. She was still dressed in her clothing from that day. Her hair was long and unruly, for she had never had to maintain it. There were bags underneath her eyes. When she saw herself, for the first time in months, she gasped and just stared dumbly upon herself.
Finally, after what seemed a year, she smiled. Then, her body began to flash. She became visible one moment, invisible the next.
The Warrior looked on in anger. For one glorious moment, everything that had been taken from her was returned, and now some force was threatening to reclaim it. Unless…
"Marcie," he said in a firm voice, "Think of yourself as visible. Think that you can be seen!"
She stared at him for a moment, a long moment, and then she became invisible once more.
"Focus, Marcie!"
She gasped at the voice he was using, and then he could see her head through the jacket nod. She sat there, quiet, and he became worried that perhaps he was wrong.
He whispered a prayer for aid.
And, for a while, it went unanswered. Then, she became visible once more. Her eyes were closed shut and her face was screwed into a mask of pure focus.
"Marcie, I can see you," Ezekiel told her.
The girl slowly opened her eyes and looked down. When she saw her body, she smiled once more. Then, her eyes became focused once more. She became invisible again. She shifted between states for a few moments, and eventually settled on visibility.
"It'll take some getting used to," she said with a smile.
"Thank God," the Warrior muttered.
He looked up as he heard footsteps coming near the van. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a dagger, and moved to where he would encounter whoever, or whatever, was there. Someone knocked.
"Ezekiel," he heard a familiar voice call out.
The hunter smiled and reached for the door. When he pulled it open, an ensouled vampire stood on the other side.
"Hi, Angel," Ezekiel said.
"…Should I come at another time," Angel said as he looked from Ezekiel to Marcie, and back again.
Gutter, the teenager thought, "No, this is our invisible girl."
"Oh," now the vamp looked flustered, "Someone want to fill me in?"
"I'll tell you on the way to your apartment," the Warrior said as he got up to the front seat.
Angel shook his head in confusion and climbed aboard. He closed the door and looked over to where Marcie Ross sat. She was staring at him. He smiled slightly and nodded to her. She nodded back.
"You really have a way with people, Angel," the Warrior called back as he started the vehicle.
That night, Rupert Giles sat inside his office and began to review the prophecy which best fit this time of the world and this specific Slayer.
"That can't be right," he muttered.
It spoke of the Slayer and the Master. But, there was something about a Warrior without race or time. What kind of a warrior could possibly fit that bill? It said that this Warrior would be there, as a representative of God and his presence would alter the world for the better. If he is not present, then the world shall become even more changed.
"Who is the Warrior," the Watcher muttered to himself.
The ground began to shake.
Paradise, Oregon:
Tara MaClay stood inside the old church very late that night. She fingered her weapon, her Magnum, and waited inside the darkness. It was there. At the altar. She took a good look at all those around her: four vampires in black robes knelt at the dark thing, each bleeding from their eyes. About six demons stood around them, and they formed a pentagram with the catalyst in the center.
Without any hesitation, she brought her pistol up and lined her sights up with one of the vampires. She meant to end the ritual. She pulled the trigger, and a vampire exploded into dust. As the demons and vampires rose from their places, deafness overcoming their minds, she lined her sights up once more and pulled the trigger.
Three demons went down, along with another vampire. Suddenly, she heard something to her right. She turned her head and saw a vampire, armed with a rifle. Without thought, she muttered a teleportation spell and vanished into nothing.
When she reappeared, she was inside Pam's recently completed apartment. She sighed and reloaded her weapon, then collapsed onto the couch.
When Ezekiel had left, she had expected to simply search around. Now, the Euphrates organization was making attempts to use it. If they ever succeeded, then she had no idea what would happen to them.
Aside from their deaths.
The Master's cavern; Sunnydale, California:
"Something is wrong," the monstrous creature called only the Master said as the ground shook above and below him.
"What is it," the Anointed asked from his seat on the cavern ground.
"The shakers," he screamed as the earthquake continued on in its might wrath, "They are too strong, much too strong. This is a sign. We are in the final days!"
"Is that not good," Collin questioned, confusion riddling his face as he did so.
"It is," the Master answered, "If the final day belongs to me."
With that, the quakes diminished into dark. The Master blinked and looked around the cave.
"What do you think," he asked, "9.5?"
"Giles," Buffy the Vampire Slayer said to her mentor and father figure, "Care! It's getting hairy out there. The least you could do is say 'hmm!'"
She was angered as of right now. Last night, she had staked four vampires along school grounds. She had actually snuck up on two talking. They had been speaking of a vampire hunter from Paradise. Rumor had it, according to them, that he had come to Sunnydale. She, for one, welcomed the help. Things were getting worse all the time here on the Hellmouth and who knew when things would ever return to normal.
She looked down at her nail. She had broken it last night while she had been in a fight. She was instantly reminded of the first time she had broken a nail. Her first day.
She had made friends with Willow and Jesse the first day, and that night, the latter had been taken prisoner by the vampires. Willow had nearly passed out upon seeing this. She loved Jesse like a brother and would do anything for her friend. But, Buffy had insisted that she stay behind to help her Watcher out on research, and the Slayer had been grateful that she had listened. She had had enough trouble getting out, and wouldn't have been able to get there if it hadn't been for Angel finding her.
When she had gotten down there, Jesse was worse than dead. She had nearly been killed by him, but she had managed to escape by the skin of her teeth.
Then, Amy, Willow's second lifelong friend next to Jesse, had turned out to be a witch. She had cursed cheerleaders, including Cordelia, which actually made Buffy not want to kill Amy's mother once they discovered who she was. Then, she had had to save a guy named Blaine from a praying mantis creature. Then, the Anointed rose and she had to deal with that, but her date, Owen, had nearly gotten killed in the process.
In her most memorable adventure, her friend Willow had been possessed by a hyena spirit, along with four other kids. When Buffy had figured it out, she had immediately gone to confront her Watcher, who had tried to Scully her, but had given up upon hearing later on that Herbert had been eaten.
Buffy had gone after her friend and had ended up in a horrifying situation.
Flashback:
"They are strong," the Slayer whispered to herself.
She stood up slowly, feeling something on the back of her neck, almost like a whisper of air, but she ignored the feeling. It must be her nerves, she told herself. She turned around. A smirking face met her.
She gasped as she saw her friend. Willow stood there, dressed in a black miniskirt with a red top on that barely held in her figure. She had a sneer on her face that spoke to the Slayer in waves.
"Willow," Buffy said, hoping that maybe there was a part of her friend in there.
There wasn't. She just continued to smirk. Buffy moved as quickly as she could, but couldn't sidestep the possessed girl. She tried twice more, each time receiving only Willow's intervention, and finally gave up.
"This is crazy, we need to talk."
She charged and grabbed hold of the redhead's shoulders and sent them both spiraling to the floor. Willow took advantage of the fall, however, and with a strength that no one could expect from the nerd, twisted her body weight around towards where she landed on top of the blonde girl. Buffy lay there on the floor, trapped underneath the redheaded girl's grip, that sickly sneer securely in place. The Slayer attempted to use her strength to force the possessed teen off of her, but found the grip which held her down too strong.
"Been waiting for you to try to jump my bones," Willow said.
"Get off of me," Buffy growled in the meanest voice she could muster.
"Is that what you really want," Willow smiled, "We both know what you really want. You want danger. You want power."
The redhead growled at her, a sensuous growl of lust. She leaned down and gently licked the Slayer from the collarbone up along the nerves of the neck. Buffy backed down a growl of fury. She had no appreciation for some sick hyena's fantasies. After what seemed to be an eternity for both, the wild animal slowly backed away. Buffy felt as though she had been violated in one of the worst ways. Yet, somehow, she doubted that was the worst that Willow's demon had to dish out.
"Dangerous…mean…powerful, right?"
Willow leaned in slowly, rubbing her body up against Buffy's. The Slayer closed her eyes as a plan began to formulate within her mind. She began to pant and loosen, as though she were enjoying the contact. She let out a low whimper as Willow breathed against her skin and slowly slid down the Slayer's body until she was in her former position. Buffy forced all the tension away from her face and plastered a small grin along her lips.
"Well, guess who just got mean."
She became worried at this point. If the hyena proved to be too strong for the Slayer to deal with, then her little act could end up placing her in extreme danger. One thing she recalled from her reading was that hyenas have extraordinary smell, or a human possessed by one should from what Giles had mentioned. If she smelt now, she would only smell her fear and no lust.
Fortunately, for her, the hyena in Willow did not take a whiff. She slowly slid down the Slayer's body, her intent obvious once she stopped at Buffy's skirt. She decided that if she didn't act now, it would be too late and Buffy launched out with both her legs. The hyena went flying and hit the wall with a dulling thud, then slumped to the floor, unconscious.
End Flashback:
That day had nearly destroyed the Slayer's relationship with Willow. Though the redhead could not recall any of the events, she could sense Buffy's discomfort. So, she had elected to act as though nothing were wrong. Sometimes, when shit happened, one had to eat shit in order to correct it.
And, in an interesting drama, she had discovered that Angel was a vampire. Needless to say, she had freaked out and kicked the vampire out of her home, but when she found out that he had a soul, she decided to help him in his quest for redemption. And her attraction to the dark, brooding figure had grown all the more. Willow had been supportive to her, calling it romantic, while Giles and Amy had taken a different view. They both believed that he was a danger and a risk, though both admitted he could be helpful, particularly when he slayed his sire, Darla, while she was trying to kill the Slayer.
And, of course, she had had to prevent global meltdown when Amy's boyfriend, Malcolm, turned out to be a demon that she had accidentally released onto the Internet. The witch-in-training had nearly been killed, but had come out with only hurt feelings.
Then, as a final tribute before the latest catastrophe of Marcie Ross, the nightmare world had come into the real world through a kid in a coma. Her father had left her, Willow had to sing, Amy had been taken by her mother again, and Giles had forgotten how to read. Thankfully, they had dealt with it and brought the bastard who'd done that to 'Lucky 19' to justice.
Yesterday, she had had to save Cordelia Chase, queen bitch of Sunnydale High, from Marcie Ross, an invisible student who had been turned insane due to exile. She sympathized, truly she did, but found it hard to be that sympathetic when the invisible girl slices a girl, albeit Cordelia's, face. The FBI had come in and taken her without much fuss and the other three had escaped with the help of the janitor, thankfully.
Now, as Giles stared at her, an odd look in his eye, she truly didn't know what to say or do. So, she went with what Slayers do naturally: attack. Unfortunately, her verbal assault wasn't going much anywhere.
"Hmm," the distracted Watcher said as he finally came out of his daze, "Oh, Yes! So happy you weren't injured…ugh, I have to verify this-well, I just really don't have time to talk right now. Come back later!"
With that, the British man quickly disappeared into the book cage. Sighing, Buffy accepted defeat.
"It's alright," she said as she turned away, "I can't put it off any longer. I must face my mortal destiny."
"What!"
She turned back to her Watcher, who was staring at her, a look of desperate alertness on his face.
"Biology."
Giles sighed and smiled, utterly relieved.
"Well," he said as brightly as he could, "You can bear through it! I have utter confidence in you."
"…Thanks."
She turned away and began to walk but, as she did so, her memory suddenly jogged itself. She gasped and groaned as she remembered.
"What," the Watcher asked, wondering what the groan was due to, "Is it really that hard?"
"No," she said as she turned around to him, "I just remembered something that I needed to tell you about patrol."
"Oh, what?"
"While I was patrolling, I overhead two of the vampires I slayed talking about someone called 'The Warrior' from Paradise. Know who that is?"
Ezekiel sat up quickly from his sleep on the floor. Angel was out somewhere, presumably to get blood. Marcie was asleep in the bed. The phone, however, was wide awake and wailing like a newborn baby.
"Can't my alarm be a fucking nibbling on my ear instead of some damned ringing," he muttered as he crossed the threshold and picked up the phone.
"Hello," he said in his best Angelic voice.
"Ugh, yes," a British voice said on the other end, "This is Giles. Rupert Giles."
Thank God for the British and their babbling ways, the hunter thought to himself.
"I need to see you."
"It's sunup," 'Angel' said into the phone.
"No, I realize that. Ugh…come after sundown."
"Alright."
"Good. I'll see you then."
With that, Rupert hangs the phone up. Ezekiel grinned and replaced the phone on its receiver, just as Angel came inside.
"Who was that," the ensouled vampire asked, a blood packet in his hand.
"Some bloody frigging limey called Rupert," the Warrior said in his best British voice, which was more Australian if anything, "Said he wanted to talk to Angel, he did. No worries though, mate. I pretended I was you and, Robert's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt, he told you to meet him at sundown in the library. Right rude blaggard, that Giles is."
Angel stared at him, his mouth open in blatant awe and shock.
"What the Hell was that," the voice of Marcie asked as she sat up from the bed.
She rubbed her eyes and stretched, feeling the effects of a good sleep for the first time in months. She had showered and gotten clothes from her house the previous night, and felt refreshed for the first time in a long time. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to do. All that she truly wanted was to find out why in God's name Ezekiel was talking like some damn knockoff of Crocodile Dundee.
"Would you believe I'm insane," the Warrior asked.
Both slowly nodded their heads.
"Well, that's my dark secret," he said.
"…Ok," Angel shook his head, wondering how this guy had survived the Vatican, "Do you want to come?"
Ezekiel had been pondering that as well. At first, he hadn't wanted to show himself because it might allow things to turn out better if no one was aware of his direct involvement. Now, however, it was severely possible that they were already aware of his presence. From what Angel had discovered, the Slayer had been well near the Bronze, inside it, even, when the Warrior had rescued Marcie.
Sighing, he turned to the invisible/visible girl.
"Do you want me to stay with you," he asked.
"I'll be fine," Marcie said.
"Alright," Ezekiel knelt down beside her on the bed and looked her in the eye, "If you need anything, you have my cell number."
"Thanks," she said with a small smile.
The hunter nodded his head and stood up.
"Sundown's here," the vampire muttered, "Or, at least, nearly."
"Think you can get to the van?"
"Sure," with that, the vampire with a soul turned and walked out into the hallway.
"Great people person, that Angel," Ezekiel said with a wry grin, "Bye, Marcie. We'll be back by sunup."
"Thanks," she said, "Be safe."
The Warrior of God said nothing as he left the room.
Paradise, Oregon:
"What in the Hell is going on?"
Tara sat up quickly as she heard the yelling. Standing inside her apartment were Adil and Edana, both looking at her with accusing eyes.
"We heard that you took apart a demon ritual," her girlfriend said as they both walked closer to her, "What are you and Ezekiel not telling us?"
"You don't need to get involved in this," Tara hurriedly defended herself, and Ezekiel's actions.
"Look, what is going on," Adil asked as he sat down beside her, Edana on the other, "You know us. We've faced a lot together, with Zeke. He trusts us."
"I'm acting on his advice," she said.
"What," the elemental mage asked.
"Do you remember when that lawyer from Lambert and G-Gabriel took him outside," Tara asked, knowing they would and, at their nod, continued, "It had details of…"
She hesitated.
Sunnydale High Library; Sunnydale, California:
Ezekiel and Angel walked into the library just a few moments after sundown. They paused in the middle, Angel to see where Giles was, and Ezekiel to gawk.
"Wow," he muttered to himself, "Impressive. For a mediocre town. Ooh."
He walked over to the table in the center and sat down. He searched the books along the first row. All of them had been read by the Warrior so, he began to search the second row. Again, all demon books were read. He quickly, but thoroughly, made his way through the bookshelves.
The ensouled vampire watched on with a mixture of fascination and disturbance. This guy had more layers than the world's largest cake. Sighing, he walked over to the office of the Watcher. The door was closed, but he could both hear and smell the British man. He knocked.
After a few moments and a lot of rustling, Giles came and opened the door. When he saw who it was, he walked out and extended his hand.
"Angel," he said in relief, "Good to see you. For a moment, I thought it was-"
Then, he caught sight of Ezekiel…sitting in a chair…staring at the contents of an ancient looking book.
"-A burglar," the Watcher said in an attempt at cover-up, "Ugh, can I help you, sir?"
Ezekiel didn't look up from his book. He was not accustomed to being called 'sir,' and thus, ignored him. Giles began to get testy. He wanted to speak with Angel alone, not with an eavesdropper present, like Willow had been.
"Excuse me," the British man stood over the man in a brown leather jacket, "The library is closed. If you could come back…why are you reading that book?"
Ezekiel looked up at the Watcher with a small smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry Rupert," the Warrior said as he closed the book and stood up, "I didn't realize you were speaking to me. Um, I was just examining this book. I read the first two editions of it while I was in training, but I never found the third. It is one of the most complete demonology references ever written."
"…Who are you," the flabbergasted Watcher asked the young man.
"My name is Ezekiel," he answered as he extended his hand.
"How do you do," the Watcher muttered, "Ezekiel? As in, the Ezekiel? The prophet? Are you the Warrior sent to represent God in this matter?"
Ezekiel couldn't resist a smile. He had never once been mistaken for a prophet.
"Hell No," he said, "Firstly, prophets don't have any fun! Secondly, I am the Warrior sent to represent God…at least, I think I am."
"…Oh," Rupert Giles said with relief, "Thank God."
"He says 'you're welcome.'"
"Was that a joke?"
"…," the Warrior turned to his vampire companion, "Are all the British this stuffy? Seriously, it's like talking to a frigging piece of cardboard."
Angel just smiled slightly and shrugged.
"Americans," Giles muttered as he took off his glasses and began to clean them, "Even the ones serving the most powerful force in the universe have to have a warped sense of humor."
"Well, look at it this way, England," Ezekiel said as he placed an arm on the Watcher's shoulder, "We came from England. Think of what'll happen if you guys start to hate taxes and want free tea."
"…Bloody sodding Americans," the Watcher muttered in frustration, "You're lucky we need you on our side, otherwise, I'd be tempted to just kill you and call it a day."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that, God might get angry. And, for reference, that wasn't a joke."
"…Let's go into my office," Giles said as he replaced his glasses and moved for the door, "There is much to discuss and not a moment to spare."
"Was that necessary," Angel muttered to the hunter as the two followed him inside.
"No," he responded, "But, you can't defy that it was fun."
The vampire nodded.
"Giles, you are not going to believe this," Buffy said.
She opened the doors and walked inside, only to stop as she heard two voices.
"It's clear," she heard her Watcher say, "It's what's going to happen. Ugh, it's happening now!"
She approached a few more feet and saw Angel step in front of the doorway.
"Angel," she whispered to herself, happy to see her love interest.
"It can't be," he was arguing, "You've gotta be wrong."
"Some prophecies are dodgy, some mutable. But this is the Codex! There is nothing in it that cannot come to pass!"
"Then you're reading it wrong."
"I wish to God I were! But, it's very clear. Tomorrow night, with or without your intervention, Buffy will face the Master and she will die."
She stood there, stunned.
Paradise, Oregon:
"…Oh, my God," the native of Yemen said as he read the page over again, for the fourteenth time, "They plan to do this? But, how?"
"It was a gift to human kind," Tara explained.
"Holy shit," Edana whispered as she read her own page once more, "They'll really-"
"Yes," the blonde witch explained to her girlfriend, "They will. Now do you see why neither of us wanted you involved?"
"That doesn't matter," Adil said in a huff, "We would have stayed anyway. We wouldn't have left you two alone to fight. You had to have known that."
Tara argued, "But, I was hoping that you could get people safe."
"…A good point," the mage answered, "But, we had a right to know this. You shouldn't have kept this from us."
"We're your friends, not some shitheads," Adil said, his voice strangely passionate, "We don't deserve to be kept out of the loop like this, even if it was to protect us."
"This is different," the witch argued, "He called me on the way to the Hellmouth. He told me his plan. If the time came, which he hopes he can prevent, he would have told you when no extra danger came to you and you could have helped then, when it mattered the most. We wouldn't intentionally keep you out of a battle u-unless it held some greater purpose. Ezekiel even told me that I could tell you if things got desperate, or I felt the need. We don't hold you away from the fight, we just wanted you safe until you are needed most. Now, neither of you have little to no chance if we fail."
"But," Edana said, "We'd still fight. And we will. I get that you both wanted us ready and safe until the time came to start getting people to shelter, but don't you think Daniel and the police can do that?"
"We thought of that," she answered, "Or, he did. That's why he didn't tell Pam or Danny. He believed that himself and I would be the best chance at stopping it, while you four provide the defense for the townies. He wanted to tell you, he really did, but he saw that you all had a bigger, more important job. He didn't want to tell me, and he wouldn't have had he felt he could remain in Paradise during this time. We don't hold you out of a fight. We wanted you ready for when you were needed the most, when you would be able to do the best for the world. You four had a more important job than the two of us. Now, it's just Pam and Danny."
"We're going to fight by your side," Adil whispered, "I understand your meaning and I understand the strategy, but, it is our choice to get involved on this fight. You going off like that is dangerous. You've been lucky so far, and luck won't last. We're going to help you and, when the time comes, if it comes, we will be fighting by your side, as will Daniel and Pam if they choose to do so."
"…Alright," she answered, "I know we should have involved you, but, do you see why we didn't?"
"Of course," Edana answered.
"Absolutely," Adil echoed.
"But," the mage continued, "It's still our choice. And, if it comes down to it, we will get people out of the city."
"Thank God," Tara whispered, "You know, I'm glad you guys know. It was hard to not tell you guys, really it was, but…it was worth it to know that you guys were safe and that you would be able to keep everyone else safe."
"You had to have known we would have stayed anyway," Adil said.
"We thought you might," Tara smiled, "That's part of why we were both hoping to stop it before it happens."
Sunnydale High Library; Sunnydale, California:
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Ezekiel looked up as he heard a girl laughing. He was sitting in the chair at the desk, Angel in front of him. The vampire and the Watcher shared a look before slowly exiting the office in pursuit of the Slayer. He remained as he was, not wanting to speak to her on these terms.
"So," she said, her voice corrupted by tears, "That's it, huh? I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, the next one's called. Wonder who she is. Will you train her," she seemed to be talking to Giles now, "Or will they send someone else?"
"Buffy, I-" the Watcher began.
"They say how he's gonna kill me," she asked, the sadness in her voice more defined, "Do you think it'll hurt?"
He watched from the window as Angel approached, but she backed away, disgusted.
"DON'T TOUCH ME," she screamed, "Were you even going to tell me?"
"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to," he said, reminding the Warrior of his own situation back at home, "That there was…some way around it…"
"I've got a way around it. I quit!"
"It's not that simple," Angel began.
"I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign! I'm fired! Find someone else to stop the Master."
"I'm not sure anyone else can," Giles said, "All the signs-"
"The signs," she said, and he listened on as thumping began to assault his ears while the Slayer threw books, "READ ME THE SIGNS! TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL HERE SITTING WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOT OF HELP!"
"No," the Watcher muttered, "I don't suppose I am."
"I know this is hard," Angel tried to coax her down, but failed.
"What do you know about this? You're never gonna die!"
"Do you think I could stand it? We just gotta figure a way…"
Ezekiel stood up and leaned against the wall. He wondered if she really meant it. To quit. He couldn't imagine it. Being meant to die so young. Of course, he had been meant to die or live in pain for life underneath the Vatican. So, perhaps he could imagine it, after all.
"I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!"
"And what will happen," the Warrior of God said as he exited the room, ignoring the looks of both Angel and Giles, "When you give it up? What will happen to everyone on this Earth when you give up on them?"
"Who the Hell are you," Buffy asked the strange man.
"The Warrior of God," Ezekiel answered solemnly in rage, barely hidden.
"From Paradise," Buffy filled in, "Great. You can fight the Master. Go. Do your job."
"Listen to me," the hunter said quietly, "You don't quit. You never ever quit. When your world is crashing down against you, you don't just run away and let it fall. You fight."
"You don't know what it's like," the Slayer argued, "To be destined for an early grave like I am!"
"No," he answered, "I don't know what it's like to have some prophecy declare my death. I do know what it's like to spend thirteen years suffering torment, pain, fire, ice, and some of the most brutal conditions that mankind has ever, or will ever, conceived of by order of the Pope. I do know what it's like to be told that every one of my friends will die. I do know what it's like to lay my life down on the line, time and time again, for the people I care about. I understand your pain. You fight vampires, demons, and darkness.
"I fight Devils, demons, vampires, terrors, and more beasts than this world can offer. I haven't quit."
"Have you had to save the world?"
"I have to be here in order to stop the Powers That Be, the power-drunken angels, from gaining the power they so desperately crave. And I have to be back at Paradise before an apocalyptic organization summons forth an army of evil that cannot be stopped. I understand your pain. But, don't you dare tell me that I don't have as much of that pain as you do. You don't know the meaning of pain yet."
Without further word, he walked away from the group. As he left through the doors, he called back on final time.
"Do your job, Slayer, and I swear to God of Heaven and Earth that you shall live to see the day after tomorrow."